Crystal Bowersox
Encyclopedia
Crystal Lynn Bowersox is an American
singer-songwriter
and actress, who was the runner-up on the ninth season
of American Idol
. Bowersox's debut album, Farmer's Daughter
, was released on December 14, 2010 on the Jive Records
label.
.
She attended Oak Harbor High School
in Oak Harbor, Ohio
, and later attended the Toledo School for the Arts
in Toledo, Ohio
. Bowersox performed her first professional gig at the age of 10. She appeared at local bars in Toledo, most popularly Papa's Tavern, and The Village Idiot in Maumee, Ohio
. At the age of 17, she moved to Chicago
looking for opportunity. She most commonly played as a busker at several train stations, including the Washington and Lake Redline stops. She frequented open mics, such as the Uncommon Ground Clark and Grace, and Devon locations. She also played extensively in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood. In 2006, the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs chose Bowersox to represent Chicago folk musicians in the Sister Cities program "Experience Chicago", held in Birmingham, England
. In 2007, Bowersox traveled internationally on an independent small cafe tour, including Memphis, Tennessee
, Oaxaca, Mexico
, and Ankara
and Istanbul, Turkey
.
, Illinois
. She sang "Piece of My Heart
." Guest judge Shania Twain
commented that she had a "raw, natural talent."
On March 2, 2010, Bowersox was hospitalized because of complications from diabetes, forcing a last minute switch in scheduling to give her extra time to recuperate. Bowersox confirmed the illness on the May 19, 2010 results show during an interview with host Ryan Seacrest
. The men competed that day instead of the women. She sang the next day and impressed all of the judges.
The following week, her strong performance prompted Simon Cowell
to state, "Right now, you are the one everyone has to beat."
After Siobhan Magnus
's elimination from the top 6 of American Idol
, Bowersox became the last remaining female contestant in the competition.
Bowersox is the first female contestant to make it to the finale since Jordin Sparks
won the title in 2007. She is also the first contestant in American Idol history to have one of their original songs played on the show, or at least during their hometown package. Crystal's original song "Holy Toledo" was played on the May 19 Top 3 Results show as the background music for her homecoming package - when she returned to Toledo, Ohio and Elliston, Ohio the previous weekend - and segued into her live performance of the same song at "Bowerstock".
During her time on Idol, Bowersox dated Tony Kusian, but the couple broke up just hours before the Idol finale.
On the final performance day, in Simon Cowell
's final critique on American Idol, he called her performance of "Up to the Mountain
" "outstanding" and by far, "the best performance and song of the night".
On May 26, Bowersox was named the runner-up to winner Lee DeWyze
. She recently announced that after her Idol career, she wants to bring more awareness to the disease of diabetes.
's 19 Entertainment
and with Jive Records
. Her single "Up to the Mountain
" has since been released to radio stations and iTunes.
Bowersox and musician Brian Walker were married on October 10, 2010, at Uncommon Ground Café in Chicago, the restaurant where the couple had met six years earlier while both performing at Open Mic Night.
Bowersox's debut album Farmer's Daughter
was released to stores and iTunes on December 14, 2010. Bowersox performed her single "Farmer's Daughter
" on The Ellen DeGeneres Show
on December 16, 2010.
On October 7, RCA Music Group
announced it was disbanding Jive Records
along with Arista Records
and J Records
. With the shutdown, all other artists previously signed to these three labels would see their future material released under the RCA Records
brand. However, Bowersox was not one of the artists who made the move, and was instead left without a record label.
She also made her acting debut on episode Dana Delany
's series Body of Proof
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
and actress, who was the runner-up on the ninth season
American Idol (season 9)
The ninth season of American Idol premiered on January 12, 2010 and concluded on May 26, 2010 on Fox. Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi all returned as judges, and Ellen DeGeneres permanently replaced Paula Abdul as the fourth judge. Idol Gives Back also returned for the season and was...
of American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
. Bowersox's debut album, Farmer's Daughter
Farmer's Daughter (album)
-Critical reception:The album received mixed to positive reviews. Allmusic gave the album 2.5 stars out of 5. Joey Guerra of the Houston Chronicle said the album "failed to live up to Idol hype." Allison Stewart of Washington Post called Crystal an "anti-Carrie Underwood." Metacritic gave the album...
, was released on December 14, 2010 on the Jive Records
Jive Records
Jive Records was a record label based in New York City, operating under RCA Music Group. Jive was primarily known for a string of successes with hip hop artists in the 1980s, and in teen pop and boy bands in the late 1990s. The word "jive" was inspired by Township Jive, a form of South African...
label.
Early life
Bowersox and her twin brother, Carl, were born in Elliston, OhioOttawa County, Ohio
Ottawa County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 41,428. Its county seat is Port Clinton and is named either for the Ottawa Indians who lived there, or for an Indian word meaning "trader"....
.
She attended Oak Harbor High School
Oak Harbor High School (Ohio)
-About:Oak Harbor High School is a public high school located in Oak Harbor, Ohio on State Route 163. It is the only high school in the Benton-Carroll-Salem Schools district. Their mascot is the Rockets, and their school colors are red and green. Presently, Keith Thorbahn serves as the principal...
in Oak Harbor, Ohio
Oak Harbor, Ohio
Oak Harbor is a village in Ottawa County, Ohio, United States. Oak Harbor is 30 miles east of Toledo. The population was 2,841 at the 2000 census...
, and later attended the Toledo School for the Arts
Toledo School for the Arts
Toledo School for the Arts is a public charter school in downtown Toledo, Ohio founded by director Martin Porter. It was first sponsored by the Toledo Board of Education. In 2008 the school was chartered by Bowling Green State University...
in Toledo, Ohio
Toledo, Ohio
Toledo is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Lucas County. Toledo is in northwest Ohio, on the western end of Lake Erie, and borders the State of Michigan...
. Bowersox performed her first professional gig at the age of 10. She appeared at local bars in Toledo, most popularly Papa's Tavern, and The Village Idiot in Maumee, Ohio
Maumee, Ohio
Maumee is a city in Lucas County, Ohio, United States. It is a suburb of Toledo along the Maumee River. The population was 14,286 at the 2010 census. Maumee was also declared an All-America City by the National Civic League in June 2006.-Geography:...
. At the age of 17, she moved to Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
looking for opportunity. She most commonly played as a busker at several train stations, including the Washington and Lake Redline stops. She frequented open mics, such as the Uncommon Ground Clark and Grace, and Devon locations. She also played extensively in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood. In 2006, the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs chose Bowersox to represent Chicago folk musicians in the Sister Cities program "Experience Chicago", held in Birmingham, England
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
. In 2007, Bowersox traveled internationally on an independent small cafe tour, including Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, Oaxaca, Mexico
Oaxaca, Oaxaca
The city and municipality of Oaxaca de Juárez, or simply Oaxaca, is the capital and largest city of the Mexican state of the same name . It is located in the Centro District in the Central Valleys region of the state, in the foothills of the Sierra Madre at the base of the Cerro del Fortín...
, and Ankara
Ankara
Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after Istanbul. The city has a mean elevation of , and as of 2010 the metropolitan area in the entire Ankara Province had a population of 4.4 million....
and Istanbul, Turkey
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
.
American Idol
Bowersox auditioned for American Idol in ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. She sang "Piece of My Heart
Piece of My Heart
"Piece of My Heart" is a song written by Jerry Ragovoy and Bert Berns and originally recorded by Erma Franklin in 1967. The song came to greater mainstream attention when Big Brother and the Holding Company covered the song in 1968 and had a hit with it...
." Guest judge Shania Twain
Shania Twain
Shania Twain, OC is a Canadian country pop singer-songwriter. Her album The Woman in Me , brought her fame and her 1997 album Come On Over, became the best-selling album of all time by a female musician in any genre, and the best-selling country album of all time. It has sold over 40 million...
commented that she had a "raw, natural talent."
On March 2, 2010, Bowersox was hospitalized because of complications from diabetes, forcing a last minute switch in scheduling to give her extra time to recuperate. Bowersox confirmed the illness on the May 19, 2010 results show during an interview with host Ryan Seacrest
Ryan Seacrest
Ryan John Seacrest is an American radio personality, television host, network producer and voice actor. He is the host of On Air with Ryan Seacrest, a nationally syndicated Top 40 radio show that airs on KIIS-FM in Los Angeles and throughout the United States and Canada on Premiere Radio Networks,...
. The men competed that day instead of the women. She sang the next day and impressed all of the judges.
The following week, her strong performance prompted Simon Cowell
Simon Cowell
Simon Phillip Cowell is an English A&R executive, television producer, entrepreneur, and television personality. He is known in the United Kingdom and United States for his role as a talent judge on TV shows such as Pop Idol, The X Factor, Britain's Got Talent and American Idol...
to state, "Right now, you are the one everyone has to beat."
After Siobhan Magnus
Siobhan Magnus
Siobhan Evelyn Magnus is an American singer-songwriter from Barnstable, Massachusetts who was the sixth place finalist on the ninth season of American Idol.-Early life:...
's elimination from the top 6 of American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
, Bowersox became the last remaining female contestant in the competition.
Bowersox is the first female contestant to make it to the finale since Jordin Sparks
Jordin Sparks
Jordin Brianna Sparks is an American pop / R&B singer-songwriter and actress. She hails from Glendale, Arizona who rose to fame as the winner of the sixth season of American Idol. Sparks won when she was 17 years old, making her the youngest winner in Idol history...
won the title in 2007. She is also the first contestant in American Idol history to have one of their original songs played on the show, or at least during their hometown package. Crystal's original song "Holy Toledo" was played on the May 19 Top 3 Results show as the background music for her homecoming package - when she returned to Toledo, Ohio and Elliston, Ohio the previous weekend - and segued into her live performance of the same song at "Bowerstock".
During her time on Idol, Bowersox dated Tony Kusian, but the couple broke up just hours before the Idol finale.
On the final performance day, in Simon Cowell
Simon Cowell
Simon Phillip Cowell is an English A&R executive, television producer, entrepreneur, and television personality. He is known in the United Kingdom and United States for his role as a talent judge on TV shows such as Pop Idol, The X Factor, Britain's Got Talent and American Idol...
's final critique on American Idol, he called her performance of "Up to the Mountain
Up to the Mountain (MLK Song)
"Up to the Mountain " is a contemporary folk song written by Patty Griffin. The song touches upon emotions surrounding Martin Luther King, Jr.'s famous 1968 "I've Been to the Mountaintop" speech, given the day before his assassination in Memphis, Tennessee...
" "outstanding" and by far, "the best performance and song of the night".
On May 26, Bowersox was named the runner-up to winner Lee DeWyze
Lee DeWyze
Leon James "Lee" DeWyze, Jr. is an American singer-songwriter from Mount Prospect, Illinois, and the winner of the ninth season of American Idol. Prior to Idol, DeWyze had a solo career and formed the Lee DeWyze Band. He had also released two independent albums called So I'm Told in 2007 and...
. She recently announced that after her Idol career, she wants to bring more awareness to the disease of diabetes.
Performances
| Episode | Theme | Song choice | Original recording artist | Order # | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Audition | Auditioner's Choice | "Piece of My Heart Piece of My Heart "Piece of My Heart" is a song written by Jerry Ragovoy and Bert Berns and originally recorded by Erma Franklin in 1967. The song came to greater mainstream attention when Big Brother and the Holding Company covered the song in 1968 and had a hit with it... " |
Erma Franklin Erma Franklin Erma Franklin was an American gospel and R&B singer. She was the oldest daughter of Barbara and the Reverend C. L. Franklin and the elder sister of Aretha Franklin... |
N/A | Advanced |
| Hollywood Week | First Solo | "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman (You Make Me Feel like) a Natural Woman " A Natural Woman" is a 1967 single released by American soul singer Aretha Franklin on the Atlantic label. The record was a big hit for Franklin, reaching number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100, and became a standard song for her... " |
Aretha Franklin Aretha Franklin Aretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Although known for her soul recordings and referred to as The Queen of Soul, Franklin is also adept at jazz, blues, R&B, gospel music, and rock. Rolling Stone magazine ranked her atop its list of The Greatest Singers of All... |
N/A | Advanced |
| Hollywood Week | Group Round | "Get Ready" | The Temptations The Temptations The Temptations is an American vocal group having achieved fame as one of the most successful acts to record for Motown Records. The group's repertoire has included, at various times during its five-decade career, R&B, doo-wop, funk, disco, soul, and adult contemporary music.Formed in Detroit,... |
N/A | Advanced |
| Hollywood Week | Second Solo | "If It Makes You Happy If It Makes You Happy "If It Makes You Happy" is the lead single from Sheryl Crow's 1996 eponymous album. The song peaked at number ten on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart in the US. The track won Best Female Rock Vocal Performance at the 1997 Grammy Awards... " |
Sheryl Crow Sheryl Crow Sheryl Suzanne Crow is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, musician, and actress. Her music incorporates elements of rock, folk, hip hop, country and pop... |
N/A | Advanced |
| Top 24 (12 Women) | Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... Hits |
"Hand in My Pocket Hand in My Pocket "Hand in my Pocket" is a song by Canadian recording artist and songwriter Alanis Morissette, for her third studio album Jagged Little Pill . The song was written by Morissette and Glen Ballard, and was released as the second single from the album. "Hand in My Pocket" is a rock song. The song was... " |
Alanis Morissette Alanis Morissette Alanis Nadine Morissette is a Canadian-American singer-songwriter, guitarist, record producer, and actress. She has won 16 Juno Awards and seven Grammy Awards, was nominated for two Golden Globe Awards and also shortlisted for an Academy Award nomination... |
11 | Safe |
| Top 20 (10 Women) | "Long as I Can See the Light Cosmo's Factory Cosmo's Factory is the fifth studio album by American rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival, released by Fantasy Records in July 1970 and released as Fantasy 8402, the same month as the single release of "Lookin' out My Back Door" b/w "Long As I Can See the Light" .The name of the album comes from... " |
Creedence Clearwater Revival Creedence Clearwater Revival Creedence Clearwater Revival was an American rock band that gained popularity in the late 1960s and early 1970s with a number of successful singles drawn from various albums.... |
1 | Safe | |
| Top 16 (8 Women) | "Give Me One Reason Give Me One Reason "Give Me One Reason" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Tracy Chapman. It was released on her 1995 album New Beginning. It is also Chapman's biggest US hit to date, reaching #3 on the US Hot 100. Chapman also performed the song six years before its release, on the December 16, 1989... " |
Tracy Chapman Tracy Chapman Tracy Chapman is an American singer-songwriter, best known for her singles "Fast Car", "Talkin' 'bout a Revolution", "Baby Can I Hold You", "Give Me One Reason" and "Telling Stories". She is a multi-platinum and four-time Grammy Award-winning artist.-Biography:Tracy Chapman was born in Cleveland,... |
7 | Safe | |
| Top 12 | The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up... |
"You Can't Always Get What You Want You Can't Always Get What You Want "You Can't Always Get What You Want" is a song by The Rolling Stones released on their 1969 album Let It Bleed. Written primarily by Mick Jagger with assistance from Keith Richards, it was named as the 100th greatest song of all time by Rolling Stone in its 2004 list of "500 Greatest Songs of All... " |
The Rolling Stones | 12 | Safe |
| Top 11 | Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... #1 Hits |
"Me and Bobby McGee Me and Bobby McGee "Me and Bobby McGee" is a song written by Kris Kristofferson and Fred Foster, originally performed by Roger Miller. Others performed the song later, including Kristofferson himself, and Janis Joplin who topped the U.S. singles chart with the song in 1971 after her death, making the song the second... " |
Roger Miller Roger Miller Roger Dean Miller was an American singer, songwriter, musician and actor, best known for his honky tonk-influenced novelty songs... |
5 | Safe |
| Top 10 | R&B Rhythm and blues Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a... /Soul Soul music Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of... |
"Midnight Train to Georgia Midnight Train to Georgia "Midnight Train to Georgia" is a 1973 number-one hit single by Gladys Knight & the Pips, their second release after departing Motown Records for Buddah Records... " |
Cissy Houston Cissy Houston Emily "Cissy" Houston is a Grammy Award–winning American soul and gospel singer. She led a very successful career as a backup singer for such artists as Elvis Presley, Mahalia Jackson, Wishbone Ash and Aretha Franklin, and is now primarily a solo artist... |
9 | Safe |
| Top 9 | Lennon/McCartney Lennon/McCartney The Lennon–McCartney songwriting partnership is one of the best-known and most successful musical collaborations in history... |
"Come Together Come Together "Come Together" is a song by The Beatles written by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney. The song is the opening track on The Beatles' September 1969 album Abbey Road.... " |
The Beatles The Beatles The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr... |
5 | Safe |
| Top 9 | Elvis Presley Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King".... |
"Saved" | LaVern Baker LaVern Baker LaVern Baker was an American rhythm and blues singer, who had several hit records on the pop chart in the 1950s and early 1960s. Her most successful records were "Tweedlee Dee" , "Jim Dandy" , and "I Cried a Tear" .-Early life:She was born Delores LaVern Baker in Chicago, Illinois... |
1 | Safe |
| Top 7 | Inspirational | "People Get Ready People Get Ready (song) "People Get Ready" was a 1965 single by The Impressions, and the title track from the album of the same name. The single is today the group's best-known hit, reaching number-three on the Billboard R&B Chart and number 14 on the Billboard Pop Chart... " |
The Impressions | 7 | Safe |
| Top 6 | Shania Twain Shania Twain Shania Twain, OC is a Canadian country pop singer-songwriter. Her album The Woman in Me , brought her fame and her 1997 album Come On Over, became the best-selling album of all time by a female musician in any genre, and the best-selling country album of all time. It has sold over 40 million... |
"No One Needs to Know No One Needs to Know "No One Needs to Know" is the title of a song co-written and recorded by Canadian country music artist Shania Twain. It was released in May 1996 as the sixth single from her 1995 album The Woman in Me. The song was written by Twain and Mutt Lange. The song became Twain's third consecutive... " |
Shania Twain | 4 | Safe |
| Top 5 | Frank Sinatra Frank Sinatra Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the... |
"Summer Wind Summer Wind "Summer Wind" is a 1965 song, with music by Heinz Meier and lyrics by Johnny Mercer, Original german lyrics by Hans Bradtke. The song is a nostalgic tale of a fleeting romance, first recorded by Wayne Newton who had the first national chart hit with the song in 1965, peaking at number 78."Summer... " |
Wayne Newton Wayne Newton Wayne Newton is an American singer and entertainer based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He performed over 30,000 solo shows in Las Vegas over a period of over 40 years, earning him the nicknames The Midnight Idol, Mr. Las Vegas and Mr. Entertainment... |
3 | Safe |
| Top 4 | Songs of the Cinema | Duet Duet (music) A duet is a musical composition for two performers. In classical music, the term is most often used for a composition for two singers or pianists; with other instruments, the word duo is also often used. A piece performed by two pianists performing together on the same piano is referred to as... "Falling Slowly Falling Slowly "Falling Slowly" is a song written and performed by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová, as well as by Hansard's band, The Frames. It appeared in their 2007 film Once, from which it won the Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 80th Academy Awards.... " — Once Once (film) Once is a 2006 Irish musical film written and directed by John Carney. Set in Dublin, this naturalistic drama stars musicians Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová as musicians... with Lee DeWyze Lee DeWyze Leon James "Lee" DeWyze, Jr. is an American singer-songwriter from Mount Prospect, Illinois, and the winner of the ninth season of American Idol. Prior to Idol, DeWyze had a solo career and formed the Lee DeWyze Band. He had also released two independent albums called So I'm Told in 2007 and... |
Glen Hansard Glen Hansard Glen Hansard is the Academy Award–winning principal songwriter and vocalist/guitarist for Irish group The Frames and one half of folk rock duo, The Swell Season... & Markéta Irglová Markéta Irglová Markéta Irglová is a Czech songwriter, musician, actress, and singer. As of 2010, she resides in New York City.-Early life:... |
3 | Safe |
| Solo Solo (music) In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer... "I'm Alright" — Caddyshack Caddyshack Caddyshack is a 1980 American comedy film directed by Harold Ramis and written by Brian Doyle-Murray, Ramis, and Douglas Kenney. It stars Chevy Chase, Rodney Dangerfield, Ted Knight, Michael O'Keefe, Cindy Morgan, and Bill Murray... |
Kenny Loggins Kenny Loggins During the next decade, Loggins recorded so many successful songs for film soundtracks that he was referred to as, King of the Movie Soundtrack.He began with "I'm Alright" , "Mr. Night", and "Lead the Way" from Caddyshack... |
5 | |||
| Top 3 | Contestant's Choice | "Come to My Window Come to My Window "Come to My Window" is a Grammy Award-winning song by Melissa Etheridge released in 1994 on her 1993 album Yes I Am. This was the first song to be released after Etheridge publicly announced her sexual orientation of being a lesbian. With the driving force of gay rights, the song gained a lot of... " |
Melissa Etheridge Melissa Etheridge Melissa Lou Etheridge is an American rock singer-songwriter and musician.Etheridge is known for her mixture of confessional lyrics, pop-based folk-rock, and raspy, smoky vocals... |
2 | Safe |
| Judges' Choice | "Maybe I'm Amazed Maybe I'm Amazed "Maybe I'm Amazed" is a song written by Paul McCartney that was first released on his McCartney album on 17 April 1970. The studio version from the album has never been released as a single. McCartney dedicated the song to his wife, Linda, who had helped him get through the break-up of The Beatles... " |
Paul McCartney Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100... |
5 | ||
| Top 2 | Contestant's Choice | "Me and Bobby McGee Me and Bobby McGee "Me and Bobby McGee" is a song written by Kris Kristofferson and Fred Foster, originally performed by Roger Miller. Others performed the song later, including Kristofferson himself, and Janis Joplin who topped the U.S. singles chart with the song in 1971 after her death, making the song the second... " |
Roger Miller Roger Miller Roger Dean Miller was an American singer, songwriter, musician and actor, best known for his honky tonk-influenced novelty songs... |
2 | Runner-up |
| Simon Fuller Simon Fuller Simon Fuller is a British artist manager, television producer and creator of the Idol franchise, first seen as Pop Idol in the UK. Fuller is also the co-creator and executive producer of the Fox TV reality show So You Think You Can Dance and other U.S... 's Choice |
"Black Velvet Black Velvet (song) "Black Velvet" is a rock song written by Canadian musicians David Tyson and Christopher Ward, and recorded by Canadian singer Alannah Myles in 1988. It became a number one hit for two weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 charts in 1990 and reached number one on the Album Rock Tracks chart, as well as... " |
Alannah Myles Alannah Myles Alannah Myles is a Canadian singer-songwriter, the daughter of Canadian broadcast pioneer William Douglas Byles. In 1989, she released her eponymous debut album... |
4 | ||
| First Single | "Up to the Mountain Up to the Mountain (MLK Song) "Up to the Mountain " is a contemporary folk song written by Patty Griffin. The song touches upon emotions surrounding Martin Luther King, Jr.'s famous 1968 "I've Been to the Mountaintop" speech, given the day before his assassination in Memphis, Tennessee... " |
Solomon Burke Solomon Burke Solomon Burke was an American singer-songwriter, entrepreneur, mortician, and an archbishop of the United House of Prayer For All People. Burke was known as "King Solomon", the "King of Rock 'n' Soul", and as the "Bishop of Soul", and described as "the Muhammad Ali of soul", and as "the most... |
6 |
- Due to the judges using their one save to save Michael LyncheMichael LyncheMichael Alexander Lynche is an American singer from St. Petersburg, Florida who was the fourth place finalist on the ninth season of American Idol. He is the second finalist ever to receive the judges' save, which was introduced in season eight.-Early life:Lynche was born to Michele and Marque...
, the Top 9 remained intact for another week. - Though Crystal Bowersox was the last contestant announced to be 'safe' and moving on to the Top 3, Ryan SeacrestRyan SeacrestRyan John Seacrest is an American radio personality, television host, network producer and voice actor. He is the host of On Air with Ryan Seacrest, a nationally syndicated Top 40 radio show that airs on KIIS-FM in Los Angeles and throughout the United States and Canada on Premiere Radio Networks,...
stressed on the Top 4 Results Night that the 'safe' contestants would be announced "in no particular order." Thus, the audience has no way of knowing which of the Top 3 was the second-lowest vote-getter that night after Michael LyncheMichael LyncheMichael Alexander Lynche is an American singer from St. Petersburg, Florida who was the fourth place finalist on the ninth season of American Idol. He is the second finalist ever to receive the judges' save, which was introduced in season eight.-Early life:Lynche was born to Michele and Marque...
, who was eliminated. - Song selected by Ellen DeGeneresEllen DeGeneresEllen Lee DeGeneres is an American stand-up comedienne, television host and actress. She hosts the syndicated talk show The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and was also a judge on American Idol for one year, having joined the show in its ninth season....
.
Post-Idol career
On May 27, 2010, one day after Bowersox's second place Idol finish, it was announced that she had signed with Simon FullerSimon Fuller
Simon Fuller is a British artist manager, television producer and creator of the Idol franchise, first seen as Pop Idol in the UK. Fuller is also the co-creator and executive producer of the Fox TV reality show So You Think You Can Dance and other U.S...
's 19 Entertainment
19 Entertainment
19 Entertainment, based in Los Angeles, United States, is a creator and producer of entertainment properties based around the areas of Music and Television / Film, including American Idol in the United States, Pop Idol in the United Kingdom as well as versions of the Idol series in more than...
and with Jive Records
Jive Records
Jive Records was a record label based in New York City, operating under RCA Music Group. Jive was primarily known for a string of successes with hip hop artists in the 1980s, and in teen pop and boy bands in the late 1990s. The word "jive" was inspired by Township Jive, a form of South African...
. Her single "Up to the Mountain
Up to the Mountain (MLK Song)
"Up to the Mountain " is a contemporary folk song written by Patty Griffin. The song touches upon emotions surrounding Martin Luther King, Jr.'s famous 1968 "I've Been to the Mountaintop" speech, given the day before his assassination in Memphis, Tennessee...
" has since been released to radio stations and iTunes.
Bowersox and musician Brian Walker were married on October 10, 2010, at Uncommon Ground Café in Chicago, the restaurant where the couple had met six years earlier while both performing at Open Mic Night.
Bowersox's debut album Farmer's Daughter
Farmer's Daughter (album)
-Critical reception:The album received mixed to positive reviews. Allmusic gave the album 2.5 stars out of 5. Joey Guerra of the Houston Chronicle said the album "failed to live up to Idol hype." Allison Stewart of Washington Post called Crystal an "anti-Carrie Underwood." Metacritic gave the album...
was released to stores and iTunes on December 14, 2010. Bowersox performed her single "Farmer's Daughter
Farmer's Daughter (Crystal Bowersox song)
"Farmer's Daughter" is a song by Crystal Bowersox from her debut album Farmer's Daughter.-Background:The first single of the album was to be "Hold On", though Crystal Bowersox insisted that "Farmer's Daughter" be the debut single...
" on The Ellen DeGeneres Show
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
The Ellen DeGeneres Show, often shortened to Ellen, is an American television talk show hosted by comedian/actress Ellen DeGeneres. Debuting on September 8, 2003, it is produced by Telepictures and airs in syndication, including stations owned by NBC Universal. For its first five seasons, the show...
on December 16, 2010.
On October 7, RCA Music Group
RCA Music Group
RCA Music Group was an umbrella group of labels distributed by Sony Music Entertainment that existed between March 2004 and 2009 and for a short period of time between July 2011 and October 2011 until all RCA Music Group labels were merged with RCA Records....
announced it was disbanding Jive Records
Jive Records
Jive Records was a record label based in New York City, operating under RCA Music Group. Jive was primarily known for a string of successes with hip hop artists in the 1980s, and in teen pop and boy bands in the late 1990s. The word "jive" was inspired by Township Jive, a form of South African...
along with Arista Records
Arista Records
Arista was an American record label. It was a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment and operated under the RCA Music Group. The label was founded in 1974 by Clive Davis, who formerly worked for CBS Records...
and J Records
J Records
J Records was an American record label, owned and operated by Sony Music Entertainment, and was distributed through the RCA Music Group.-Company history:...
. With the shutdown, all other artists previously signed to these three labels would see their future material released under the RCA Records
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
brand. However, Bowersox was not one of the artists who made the move, and was instead left without a record label.
She also made her acting debut on episode Dana Delany
Dana Delany
Dana Welles Delany is an American film, stage, and television actress, producer, host and health activist.After various roles in the early career, Delany garnered her first leading role in 1987 in the short-lived NBC sitcom Sweet Surrender and achieved wider fame in 1988–1991 as Colleen McMurphy...
's series Body of Proof
Body of Proof
Body of Proof is an American medical drama television series created by Chris Murphey and produced by ABC Studios. Starring Dana Delany as medical examiner Dr. Megan Hunt, the series premiered on March 29, 2011 on ABC....
.
Discography
- 2010: Farmer's DaughterFarmer's Daughter (album)-Critical reception:The album received mixed to positive reviews. Allmusic gave the album 2.5 stars out of 5. Joey Guerra of the Houston Chronicle said the album "failed to live up to Idol hype." Allison Stewart of Washington Post called Crystal an "anti-Carrie Underwood." Metacritic gave the album...
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Other notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Body of Proof Body of Proof Body of Proof is an American medical drama television series created by Chris Murphey and produced by ABC Studios. Starring Dana Delany as medical examiner Dr. Megan Hunt, the series premiered on March 29, 2011 on ABC.... |
Zoe Brant | Episode: "Second Chances" |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Presenter | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Teen Choice Awards Teen Choice Awards The Teen Choice Awards, are an annual awards show that air on the Fox cable channel, that honor the year's biggest biggest achievements in music, movies, sports, television, fashion and more, voted by teen viewers aged 14 through 17. Winners receive an authentic full size surfboard designed with... |
Female Reality/Variety Star | |
External links
- Official website
- Crystal Bowersox at American IdolAmerican IdolAmerican Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...